For more than 20 years, hip-hop dancers and choreographers have been wowing the crowds with their moves at the Cités Danse festival, held at the Jean Vilar theatre in Suresnes. Created by Olivier Meyer in 1993, the festival’s aim is to give young urban dancers from Paris’s most difficult suburbs the chance to perform alongside top-class international choreographers.

In 2007 Marie-Agnès Gillot, ballet star of the Opéra de Paris, headlined alongside tango personality Mey-Ling Bisogno. Tap-dancer Jean-Pierre Douterluigne also once performed with body poppers and krump dancers. Every show is anchored in hip-hop, yet mixed with styles like break-dancing, tap, and b-boying, bringing something wholly fresh and progressive to Paris’s contemporary dance scene.

For many youngsters, this is their first time on a proper stage. As Meyer says, his festival ‘reveals talents’. For several of today’s most well-known and confirmed choreographers ‘Suresnes Cités Danse gave them their first ever limelight – got them noticed, and got them performing nationally, even internationally’.

For more information, the programme and to book tickets (in French), click here.